Clockwork Flower
by Violet1996
Summary: How would the plot of the Infernal devices be different if Victoria Montclaire, a member of the London Institute, existed too? Same general storyline, just tweaked. Previously known as Victrola Victoria
1. Meeting Tessa

**Hi everyone! So, I've been following the Infernal devices stories on here for a while, and I figured it was time for me to chip in. I wasn't planning on putting Victoria in every scene, just where I thought she might fit in.****Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: All characters (except Victoria) and plot lines belong to Cassandra Clare!**

Victoria was in the training room, clambering up and down the ropes. She was so bored. It would have been more interesting morning to go with Will and Henry to the brothel to investigate into the murder of that poor mundane girl. She hadn't been feeling well in the morning, but now that it was nearly lunch time, Victoria's stomachache had nearly disappeared, and she clearly needed something to do. She heard a carriage pull up in front of the Institute. Grinning, she scrambled to the window to see Henry and Will climbing out, unharmed. However, they were carrying an unconscious girl between the two them, who had a small cut on her forehead. Curious, Victoria raced down to the main doors of the Institute just as Henry, Will and the girl came in. Charlotte arrived moments before her, and had her hands over her mouth. "Henry, what happened?" It was Will who responded. "This is Theresa Gray. She was held captive in the brothel and is in need of the Silent Brothers. And a bath, I don't think the girl knows the importance of cleanliness." Victoria rolled her eyes at Will before she turned to Charlotte. "She looks to be about my size. I'll come back with Sophie and some of my things." Charlotte nodded and replied "Thank you, Tori. We'll be setting her in the room across from Jem's, it is nearest." Victoria nodded before she raced to the kitchen to fetch Sophie and explain the situation to her.

Sophie, who was always prompt, accompanied Victoria to her room to get some clothes. Victoria's room was an absolute mess. Sophie sighed as she entered the room. "Miss Victoria, would it really be such a bother to put away your shoes? And would it really be advised to keep so many bits of charcoal on your vanity?" Victoria turned to her and grinned. "My dearest Sophie, why do you think I requested such dark furniture for my room? I prefer the mess; I find it easier to organize my possessions in such a manner." She walked over to the open wardrobe, and wrestled out a midnight blue and bright red dress for the girl. She held up a dress in each hand. "Do you think these will do, Sophie? Or should I replace the red with a green one instead?" Sophie observed the dresses, and replied "These should do, Miss. Fetch two of your nightgowns and we shall be on our way." Victoria did as she was told, and made her way out of the room, Sophie close at her heals.

Victoria was slumped over in an armchair near the girl's bedside. She had been asleep all day, and Charlotte was outside the door, talking to Brother Enoch. Earlier, after leaving the clothes in the girl's room, Victoria had joined Charlotte, Will and Henry after she had tossed her spare clothes in Miss Gray's room as they went over the events of the day and more importantly, Tessa. After hours of painstaking discussion, Victoria was finally grateful to be sitting down. She stretched her long legs in front of her and crossed them at the ankle and kept her arms crossed under her chest. She was in a gear chemise, a black jacket that stretched to her wrists and ended at the waist, gear trousers and flat boots that stopped below the knee. Charlotte and Brother Enoch made their way back into the room just as the girl was stirring out of her reverie. Tessa opened her eyes to find herself staring as Victoria's face, whose eyebrows had crept up her forehead. "Well, it seems our Sleeping Beauty has risen." Tessa turned around to find Charlotte and Brother Enoch standing on the other side of her bed. It was the sight of Brother Enoch that startled Tessa into full awareness, and she began screaming, scrambling out of bed and dashing towards to the door. Victoria came up behind her and pulled her away from the door. "Do you know how hard it was for Will and Henry to carry you up here? All their work would've gone in vain if you escape now." "Tori, let the poor girl be. As if she hasn't been frightened enough already" said Charlotte. Victoria let go of Tessa, who had stopped trying to get out Victoria's grasp and was still. "If Will was here, he would have hit her over the head or locked the door to keep her from escaping." Victoria said curtly. "That may be true, but if Jem was here, he probably would've spoken to Ms. Gray instead of reaching for her" replied Charlotte. Tessa stared at the three of them.

She looked at Charlotte, who had an air of authority behind her even with her small stature. She dressed simply in a beige dress and was seated at the small table in Tessa's room. It was Victoria who really captured her attention though. This girl, who was slightly taller than she was, was dressed in black boy's clothes with trousers. Tessa found it odd that the girl wore them with a chemise and a jacket though. "Miss Gray, please do take a seat. We wish to speak to you." called Charlotte. Tessa turned to face her. Victoria observed this girl while she went to go take a seat with Charlotte at the table. Tessa was pretty tall, she was nearly Tori's height. She had gray eyes and long brown hair. She moved in a confident manner, not letting on any sign of nervousness or anxiety. Victoria remained by the door, leaning against the wall, examining her nail beds. There was a moment of silence, and then Tessa piped up "What kind of a monster is he? And do not tell that there are no monsters on this earth, because I know that they are real. I have seen them myself." "I would not convince you otherwise Miss Gray" replied Charlotte. She spoke quietly to Brother Enoch, and he covered his face with his hood, much to the relief of Tessa and Victoria. Victoria stepped aside to let him exit the room. " my name is Charlotte Branwell, but please, do call me Charlotte, we Shadowhunters are not so formal with each other as the mundanes. Near the door is Victoria Montclaire." Tori's head snapped up at the mention of her name. "Please, call me either Victoria or Tori, whichever you prefer. However, don't make the mistake of calling me Miss Montclaire." Tessa nodded in understanding, trying out the names. "Victoria and Charlotte." Victoria gave her a reassuring smile. Tessa gave her a weak one in return before Charlotte spoke again, explaining to Tessa about Shadowhunters and their world, the Downworld and the Accords. Tessa was naturally a curious girl, asking many questions, including ones about her talents and arrival in London.

Charlotte was just about to launch into explanation of how warlocks come to be when the door creaked open, revealing Sophie and a tea tray. Victoria brightened up, seeing her enter. "Sophie! Thank God you are here. I am famished in the most unladylike manner." Victoria said as she picked up two biscuits from the tray and stuffed them into her mouth. " Is dinner nearly ready, Sophie?" she asked. "Agatha is setting the last of the dishes. I suggest you hurry if you would like any of the roast potatoes." "thank you, Sophie." Before Victoria left, she turned her head and called into the room, "Charlotte and Miss Gray, perhaps you should come down to dinner _before_ Will eats all the potatoes." And with that, she closed the door.

Tessa was puzzled by the lackadaisical manner of this girl and more importantly, her correspondences with Sophie. Tessa had never read about a mistress who was kind and cordial with her servant. But even Charlotte was shaking her head as she said "What ever will I do with her? Anyways, it is nearly seven o'clock. Miss Gray, you must be hungry, and with dinner, you will get an opportunity to meet the rest of us. Sophie, do help her into one of the dresses. I will meet you both down in the dining room, there is some work I must attend to." With a slight nod, Charlotte let herself out of the room, leaving Sophie to prepare Tessa for the next eventful encounter of the day.

**Let me know what you guys think! I'll try to update soon. You'll find out more about Victoria's past and her relationships with the otheme members of the Institute in the next 2-3 chapters. **


	2. Dinner and Moonlight

**So here's another chapter, like I said. Please do review and rate guys, it would be super helpful. Also, I need help coming up with a new title. I hate the one I have but I've hit a roadblock. Also, I apologize for the mechanical errors in the last chapter. I wrote the story late and I didn't see all the mistakes until ****_after_**** I'd posted it. **

**Disclaimer: All characters and plot lines belong to Cassie Clare. Except for Victoria, she's mine. =) **

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Victoria was seated at the dining table, next to Will and across from Jessamine. Victoria had debated coming to dinner in her gear, but decided against it and put on a dress. She struggled a bit with the corset and layers of skirts but in the end, she managed it. _Why can't I wear trousers and shirts like the boys? It would be much less of a hassle_ she thought. The minute she had entered, Will had berated her with questions of Tessa and her condition. After Victoria assured him that she was in good health, and would be arriving to dinner shortly, he relaxed, and sat back in his chair. At precisely that moment, Tessa arrived, followed by Charlotte. "Will" called Charlotte. "I presume you remember Miss Gray?" Will stared at Tessa for a moment before replying with a grin. "My memory of her is most vivid indeed." Tessa flushed slightly. Charlotte turned to her and said "You know Victoria, seeing as you just met her and this is- do look up Jessie- Miss Jessamine Lovelace." Jessamine, bothered by little, cast up a cursory glance at Tessa, who gave her greetings to Tori and Jessie. Tori smiled back at her, while Jessie murmured a response. Will turned to Charlotte and asked "Charlotte, where is Henry, your benighted husband? And where is Jem?" "Henry will be arriving shortly; Thomas went to fetch him. As for Jem, he is ill. He's having one of his days."

At that moment, Sophie, Agatha and Thomas bustled in with platters of food that they set on the table. Everyone began eating fervently; it had been a long day. Henry arrived shortly after, his sleeve ablaze. Will tossed a vase full of water at him to set out the fire. Victoria glanced at Tessa to see how she was faring. Normally, dinner wasn't so eventful, but Tessa had arrived on an unusually strange night. Finally, when tea and cake was set, Jessamine began to berate Tessa with questions about her talent. Tessa, who politely handled most of Jessie's questions, finally decided that she should perhaps show her ability to the others. Henry piped up "Is there something that you require. Such as a spirit lamp, or..." "Henry, this is not a seance" replied Charlotte. "Actually, there is something that I do require" said stood up and turned to Victoria. "Could I have something of your's please?" Victoria raised an eyebrow at her before she unclasped the fleur-de-lis necklace that she was wearing. "Be careful, this was Maman's." Tessa nodded, and closed her hand gently around the and the others watched with awe as Tessa's form rippled into Victoria's. Everyone looked at her with shock and surprise. It was finally Victoria who spoke. "Oh dear, why has no one told me that my ears are far too small?"

After Tessa divested herself of the change, she handed the necklace back to Victoria, and was berated with even more questions about her ability by the others. The discussion finally ended with Tessa asking about the search for her brother and Charlotte reassuring her that they would begin tomorrow.

The meal ended not long after that. Victoria made her way back to her room. She dressed into nightclothes and sat on the bench by the window. Watching as the moon rose above London, she held the fleur-de-lis necklace in her fingers, tossing it over and over. It was one of the few things that she had as remembrance from her mother. Like most of the others in the Institute, Victoria was an orphan, save Will. She had grown up in a seaside manor in Brittany, France. Victoria had been immersed with the Shadowhunter life since she was a little girl, but unfortunately, it was that life that took her parents away from her. She had come to the London Institute shortly after. She had been the first to arrive, with Jessie arriving one month later, Will four months after her and finally Jem, who arrived six months after Will. It had been a while since someone new had come to the Institute, and although Tessa may not be a permanent residence of the Institute, Victoria was glad for some other female company her age. Tessa seemed annoyed by Jessie's frivolousness, which could only work in Victoria's favor. Smiling slightly, Victoria set the necklace on her vanity, and extinguished the candles in her room before she crawled into her bed, sleeping the sleep of the exhausted.


	3. The Dark House

The next morning, Victoria rose later than normal. The clock hanging on the wall opposite her bed deemed it nine o'clock in the morning. Groaning, she stretched out of bed and made her way to the window. From her window, she had an excellent view of London. She could see the dark clouds looming over the Thames. Another rainy day. She sighed before she went over to the wardrobe and put on her gear. She decided to forego the jacket today, it was too humid. After plaiting her long black hair down her back, she made her way to the dining room, where everyone besides Jem was assembled and working industriously through breakfast. Henry was hidden behind a newspaper and plate of eggs, but the rest were involved in discussion. "I say we sell her to the Gypsies on Hampstead Heath" said Will. "I hear they purchase spare women as well as horses." Victoria slipped into the empty chair next to him and picking up an apple, she looked at him and replied "Will, don't tell me you already plan on selling poor Tessa away. I was hoping to use her for target practice." She took a bite out of the apple, giving Tessa a comical grin around it, letting her know that she meant no foul. Tessa smiled back as Will replied "You're right. They'd never buy her. Too scrawny." Charlotte sighed before she turned on the two of them. Wll was trying to stick a strip of bacon in Victoria's hand, and she was trying to keep him away. "Listen, I want both of you to and make one last turn through the Dark House. I want Jem to go with the two of you" Charlotte told them. Victoria widened her eyes while Will gaped at her. "Are you sure he's well enough, Charlotte?" "He is quite well enough." This didn't come from Charlotte. but from Jem, who had walked through the door. "In fact, I'm ready to go when the two of you are." Victoria patted the empty seat next to her and said "At least have some breakfast. A slice of toast or a bowl of porridge?" He sat down and accepted a slice of toast from Victoria and covered it in raspberry jam. Charlotte began to introduce him to Tessa. "Oh, Jem—this is Miss Gray. She's—" "We've met," Jem said quietly.

Victoria glanced at him. She had clearly missed a lot, going to bed at the hour she did. However, Victoria wasn't the only one, as Charlotte looked puzzled too. "You have?" "I encountered Tessa in the corridor last night and introduced myself. I think I may have given her something of a fright." His silver eyes met Tessa's across the table, sparkling with amusement. Tessa piped up at that moment and said "I would prefer it if you all called me Tessa." Charlotte smiled and nodded at her before she continued on. "Henry and I are going to pay a visit to Axel Mortmain, in search of news regarding Nathaniel Gray. Meanwhile, Jessie, I would like you and Tessa to search through the newspapers in search of news about..."

Jessamine shoved the paper away from her as if it were a vat of poison. "A lady does not read the newspaper. The society pages, perhaps, or the theater news. Not this filth. I was thinking you ought to let me take Tessa out shopping. As well as Victoria's clothes may fit her, we know of the sparingly few dresses that she owns." Tessa glanced at Victoria, who had swallowed the last of her apple. "Jessie is correct. I own roughly ten dresses, and I have no patience for shopping and appearances. I usually make Jessie select my clothes. As much as Jessie and I bicker, she has a taste comparable to none. Tessa, I would advise you go with her, simply so you don't wind up looking like the charlatan at the Devil's Tavern." "Oh, all right," Charlotte snapped. "Honestly, sometimes I despair of the lot of you." "What've I done?" Jem inquired, gazing innocently up at her. "I only just arrived." Charlotte put her head in hands, while Henry tried to comfort her. Will turned towards Jem and Victoria. "Are you two ready to leave?" Victoria nodded while Jem sipped his tea. "Why are you in such a hurry William? It's not as if the place is in use." "I want to be back before dark," Will said. "I have an assignation in Soho this evening with a certain attractive someone." "Goodness," Tessa said from across the table. "If you keep seeing Six-Fingered Nigel like this, he'll expect you to declare your intentions." Jem choked on his tea, while Victoria laughed out loud. Will was staring at her in pure bewilderment, as if he wasn't used to such treatment. Victoria stood up and dusted herself off. "She got you that time, had to happen at some point. Allons-y" she said, hauling Will out by the arm with Jem following close behind.

"This is it? I did not imagine brothels to look quite like this" said Jem. Victoria and the two boys were standing in front of the Dark House on Whitechapel High Street. "I am inclined to agree with James on this matter. I thought that brothels would be much more ornate and elaborate" said Victoria as she walked up the steps with Jem on her left and Will on her right. The door was unlocked,much to Will's surprise. The three of them made their way into the house. On excursions such as these, Will often led the way, while Victoria remained in the middle and Jem followed in the rear. Jem held up his witchlight as Will said "Let's hope they left something behind other than filth. Forwarding addresses, a few severed limbs, a prostitute or two …" "Indeed. Perhaps, if we're fortunate, we can still catch syphilis" said Jem. "Or demon pox," Will suggested cheerfully, trying the door under the stairs. It swung open, unlocked as the front door had been. "There's always demon pox." "Demon pox does not exist, Will.""Oh ye of little faith," said Will, disappearing into the darkness under the stairs. "Would you two shut-up? We don't want to attract any attention, or diseases, for that matter. And Will, Jem is right, there is no such thing as demon-pox." Victoria said irritably, as she ducked through a low doorway leading the bottom of a staircase. Will made a face at the back of her head as she led the way up stairs. At the top of the stairs was a long corridor, with many rooms on each side. "Divide and conquer?" suggested Victoria. The boys nodded in agreement, and they each took a room. They searched fruitlessly for nearly half-an-hour, until Victoria let out an audible gasp. "Jem, Will! Come here!" she called out. The boys dashed into the room Victoria was in. The witchlight in her hand brought light to the room. It was vacant of furniture, with exception of a single chair and a figure in it. It was a girl, about Victoria's age. Her eyes were glazed open, and she made no attept to move when the three of them advanced towards her. Jem stretched a hand out to her, pressing is fingers to the girl's wrist. At that precise moment, the girl came to life, shouting "BEWARE BEWAREBEWAREBEWARE—". Victoria screamed and dashed into Will's arms, who had a mirrored look of shock across his face. "Good God," muttered Jem. Tthe girl finally lay still where she had collapsed on the ground during her meaningless rant. Victoria peered below Will's arm at the girl, and came out from under them. "I think she's dead _now_"said Victoria. Will walked over to the girl and turned her face over, to find her mouth open wide and her right eye staring at the ceiling. The left dangled halfway down her cheek, attached to its socket by a coil of copper wire. "Well, it seems as if she was never alive to begin with. We should take her back to the Institute, where Henry can examine her in his crypt. Come on, then, help me with her." Jem and Victoria nodded at Will's words and as they carried the girl downstairs, her eye dangled eerily on its bit of copper wire.

**So that was part three. It was a bit dull, I know, but please let me know what you guys think (R&R). It would be helpful!**


	4. The Enclave

**Disclaimer: Victoria and her story are the things that belong to me. Tthe other characters and plot lines belong to the one and only, Cassandra Clare.**

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Tessa was jerked awake by a knock at her door. She had nearly fallen asleep upright, with the _Codex_ in her lap, hand marking a page. Groggily, she stood up and opened the door, only to reveal Victoria. "Tessa, it's me. Can I come in?" Tessa nodded and let the other girl in. She was dressed in a nightgown, all black with no sleeves, just simple lengths of fabric holding the gown up. Tessa made her way back to the bed, crawling in and leaning against the pillows. Victoria sat on the edge, legs crossed over one another. "Tessa, I came to return your necklace to you. I had come down to the kitchen with hope to get some food, and I encountered Henry on the way back. He asked me to see if you were awake and if so, if I could return it to you." Tessa gratefully took the necklace back, hooking it back onto her neck. "Did Henry discover anything useful with it?" "No, not to my knowledge. He cleaned it out, there was apparently an unbelievable amount of rust in it. Beyond that, there was nothing out of the ordinary." "Oh, thank you Victoria." Victoria smiled at her. "Charlotte mentioned the discussion with Lady Belcourt today. My apologies for my lack of presence. I had some work regarding my family to handle." Victoria had gone to the bank to check up on the money and properties that her parents had owned when they died. She made the trip once in six months, simply to make sure there were no problems.

She turned to Tessa. "However, Tessa, as someone with your interests in mind, I wish to ask you if are you truly willing to do this. There is great danger involved, and this plan will only work with you." Tessa replied "Yes, Victoria, I am. There is a chance I may discover something about Nate, and I am not willing to pass up this opportunity." Victoria nodded in understanding. She glanced at the wall and Tessa observed this beautiful girl in front of her. Victoria's long black hair tumbled down her back. In the dull witchlight, her eyes appeared a a deep violet. Her skin was very pale, but her cheeks were red, along with her lips. Victoria turned to Tessa again. "Tessa, are you alright? I can only imagine the past few days have been quite a shock for you." Tessa was surprised by the question. Everything had been moving along quickly, but everyone had seemed more concerned about the situation regarding the Magister. Now that there was a tentative plan in place, everyone seemed to be centered around that. "I am alright. It is very strange. For the longest while, especially when I was with the Dark Sisters, I had felt that this new life was a bad dream, and that any day I would return to the life I had. Now I can't help but feel that my old life was the dream and that this is the bitter reality."

Victoria looked at Tessa with a mixture of sorrow and understanding. "Tessa, let me tell you something. No matter how a being is linked to this world, they will have their life turned over at least once. Take Sophie. Did you ever wonder how Sophie's face became scarred?" Tessa nodded. "Well, she had been a parlor maid, in a fine house in St. John's Wood. Parlor maids, of course, are chosen for their looks, and Sophie was beautiful—which turned out to be both a great advantage and a great disadvantage for her. As you might imagine, the son of the house took an interest in seducing her. She turned him away repeatedly. In a rage, he took a knife and cut open her face, saying that if he couldn't have her, he'd make sure no one ever wanted her again."

"How awful," Tessa continued. "She went to her mistress, the boy's mother, but he claimed that she'd tried to seduce him, and he'd taken up the knife to fight her off and protect his virtue. Of course, they threw her out on the street. By the time Charlotte found her, her cheek was badly infected. Charlotte brought her here and had the Silent Brothers see to her, but while they cured the infection, they couldn't heal the scar." Tessa put her hand to her own face in a gesture of unconscious sympathy. "Poor Sophie." "It is not easy, losing the ones you love and leaving the life you know, but change is inevitable, Tessa. Not always for he worst though. Sometimes for the better." "Tori, can I ask you a question?" "Apparently, Will was correct when he said you were curious. Go on, ask." "What happened to your life? How come you live here?" Victoria sucked in a breath. "It's alright, you don't have to tell me..." stammered Tessa. Victoria gave her a small smile and placed one of her hands over her's. "Tessa, I will tell you, but that is a long story that I will save for another night. In any case, I think that I have kept you awake for too long. You can finish the _Codex _tomorrow. It is beyond my mental capability to grasp why you wish to read such a lengthy volume in its entirety, but I will leave you be". With that, Victoria made her way out of the room, holding up the witchlight as a lamp, padding barefoot out into the corridor. Tessa sighed before she closed the _Codex,_ and extinguished the candle before she slept.

It had been two days since Camille's visit. They were in the library. Jem and Will were seated on a table, dangling their legs over the side. Victoria was perched on a table across from them, legs tucked under her. She watching with the boys as Tessa paced back and forth, switching between Camille to herself. _It's so strange_ she thought. In all her years of being a shadowhunter, she had never come across anyone with Tessa's abilities. Unlike the boys, who had their full attention on Tessa, Victoria had a piece of paper in her hand, and was lightly drawing an image of the Dark House with charcoal from the fire place. Victoria's drawing skills were impeccable, and often she drew places and people she met on her expeditions so Charlotte could look at them and store them away. As Jem shouted words of encouragement, and Will made an unnecessary comment about Tessa walking like a duck, Victoria's mind lingered on the reports of a Shax demon lurking near the Thames. When she could, she'd drag the boys out with her. _I've never had so much trouble trying to get the boys to fight_ she thought. She had a nagging suspicion as to what could be reason for their distraction, and Victoria figured it was right in front of her. Just then, the library door opened, and the four of them scampered behind a tall bookcase.

They watched as Charlotte was followed into the room by a mix of female and male Shadow Hunters, the Enclave. Victoria gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she saw Benedict Lightwood, followed by his son, Gabriel, enter the room. Immediately, Jem's and Will's eyes were focused on her. Tessa was mildly confused, but she determined that now was not the right time to ask questions. "What is he doing here? I thought he was in school in Idris." said Victoria, desperation creeping in her voice. "He was. Is this the first time you've seen him since…." asked Will. "Yes, it is" Victoria replied curtly. She knew that she had to get out of library and fast. Jem turned to Tessa, who was in the far corner. "Perhaps you should turn back into yourself. No need to shock them too much." Tessa, who was still posed as Camille, gave a startled "Oh!" changed back into herself. With Will leading the way, they stepped out from the bookcase."Will." Charlotte sighed on seeing him, and shook her head at Tessa, Jem and Victoria. "I told you the Enclave would be meeting here at four o'clock." "Did you?" Will said. "I must have forgotten that. Dreadful." "Thank you for the reminder William. It's not as if I could have used that information" Victoria hissed in his ear. He shrugged at her apologetically. She shook her head before she turned to leave and walked right into Gabriel Lightwood, nearly toppling each other over.

He caught her by the shoulders, steadying both of them with his grasp. He stared at her for a moment, before she rolled her shoulders out of his hands. Gabriel set his arms down by his side. Tessa observed the two from the side. She had never seen Victoria look away from anyone's eyes before. Yet, now, she was staring very determinedly at the floor. Gabriel turned a very pale shade of pink and stammered "Victoria". Victoria was a tall girl, and even in her flat boots, as she shifted her gaze up, her violet eyes were level with Gabriel's green ones. "Well, if it isn't Gabriel Lightworm" said Will with the usual smirk of his, coming around from behind Victoria. It took a moment for Gabriel to stop looking at Victoria and turn to Will. "Better to be a worm than good for nothing at all" retorted Gabriel. Will's fist was about an inch from Gabriel's face before Jem pulled him back and hissed in his ear "Will let's go". Gabriel stepped aside and let them go, not willing to give Victoria a reason to hate him passed a regretful glance at Victoria, which was witnessed by everyone except her as she walked straight-backed out of the room without a backwards glance. Will glared at Gabriel and spat into his face "Bastard". Before Gabriel could recoil, Jem and Tessa dragged Will out of the library, leaving a crimson faced Gabriel behind.

The moment Victoria hit the corridor, she began to run. Fortunately, she was in gear that day. She ran up the stairs, away from Jem's, Will's and Tessa's calls. She wanted to hear nothing and be left alone. Racing up another staircase to her room, Victoria dashed inside and bolted the door and sank against it to the floor, too shocked to even cry.

**Hmmmm, so what did happen between Victoria and Gabriel? Guess you'll just have to wait to find out...**


	5. Christmas, 1876

**Disclaimer: Victoria and her story are mine. The rest belongs to Cassie Clare. =)**

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Upon her arrival at the Institute at the age of twelve, Victoria had understood that the sorrow of starting a new life without her parents would be possible to handle only by keeping herself and her brother busy. Charlotte, 18 at the time, had been like an older sister to Victoria and her little brother Alexander. She had started Victoria with her training, and helped her father with tutoring Alexander, a five year old boy at the time. Charlotte had also introduced Victoria to the Lightwoods, and in them she found friends. Gideon treated her as he treated Tatiana, like a little sister. Benedict was grateful to have some more female company for not only Tatiana, but for the boys as well, and thus treated her like his daughter. Victoria had been close to Tatiana and was kind to her twin brother, Matthew. But Gabriel had become her closest companion. He had trained alongside her, and shared her love of art. He followed her everywhere, going along with even the stupidest of the ones that involved running from angry shop owners. And when Will had arrived and threatened to break up her friendship with Gabriel with his antics, they had remained friends, enduring it all.

Victoria knew for a long time that Gabriel was in love with her. He never said a word, and it was in his acts of kindness that everyone around them knew but her. It wasn't until Jem finally told her that she realized the truth. He had always been there for her, and she had never thought anything of it. In the previous year, the winter had been particularly awful, and that was the winter her brother had died from influenza. Alex had been the one person she loved more than anyone. It was looking after him that had made her parents' deaths manageable. Without him, Victoria hadn't known who to turn to. It was Gabriel and then Jem who had been her greatest comforts, knowing exactly what she needed. That was when she realized she was also in love with Gabriel.

For the next several months, Victoria treaded around him carefully, not wanting to express her feelings. She did not wish to spoil her friendship. And he had no idea about her feelings for him, and whenever his family asked about Victoria, he brushed aside their questions, not willing to tell anyone.

Finally, a few weeks after her sixteenth birthday, the two were walking alongside the Thames, coming back from the theater. Victoria normally hated Shakespeare, but Gabriel had convinced her to come, for _Romeo and Juliet_ was one of her favorite stories. Will had read her the play and though she had found Juliet fickle-minded, she had loved the passion that Romeo and Juliet had for each other. She had finally agreed and gone, enjoying herself more than she realized. Now, Victoria was laughing at a sarcastic comment of his, and Gabriel couldn't help but notice how the moonlight had beautifully flushed her skin, making her look like a vampire with warm beauty. Then, all of a sudden, it began to rain, the heavens bucketing water onto them. Victoria gasped in surprise, and quickly, both of their clothes and hair were wet to the core. Laughing, Gabriel had pulled Victoria onto a small bridge that led to a quicker route home. Using his jacket, he had held it over their heads to shield them from the rain, like a parasol. The jacket was small, and the two were pressed close together. Shaking her head, Victoria landed drops of water all over Gabriel. "Tori, be careful! You put some water in my eye!" She glanced at him, smile playing on her lips. "I am sorry I must admit, you look silly, twitching your eye like that." They stared into each other's eyes, losing sense of time and place. Still holding the jacket up, Gabriel slowly brought his lips to Victoria's. She gasped and he pulled away quickly. "I am sorry. I do not know-" "I was gasping in surprise, you idiot. Come here" she said, pulling him closer by the waist. She rested her hands on his chest, and looking into his face, said "Kiss me." He complied, crashing his lips into hers. The seconds stretched into minutes, and when they surfaced, they were both red faced. Gabriel looked at her. "Good God, Victoria, you don't know how long I've waited." She smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Come, Gabe, let's go home." And taking her by the arm, he led her home, the night sky having miraculously cleared up.

The next few months were pure bliss. Gabriel was the model gentleman, and he filled Victoria's life with the most beautiful things. Everyone around them was happy for their relationship. Except Will. He didn't approve of his beloved friend being courted by his enemy, but he realized that that was his grudge, and acknowledged Victoria's happiness, giving her advice as needed. It was all sunshine until one day, Victoria had gone to meet Gabriel near Hyde Park, and found him kissing another girl. Gabriel saw her first, and stood up hastily. "Victoria, I was not expecting to see you until three o'clock." He was a dark shade of red, and the girl next to him seemed even more embarrassed. Victoria had not cried, but she had squared her shoulders and defiantly walked away, not responding to Gabriel's calls. She dashed into the carriage before Gabriel could catch her, and asked Thomas to take her home. By the time she had reached the Institute, she was crying, cheeks blotchy and eyes red-rimmed. She had stepped into the Institute and found everyone near the main staircase, discussing a matter of the Enclave. She ran past them all, ignoring their concerned calls. She bolted herself in her room and didn't come out for two days. When she finally did appear, it was Will who saw her first, wandering in the music room. He had pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly while she cried again. Jem had come and joined them in the music room, talking to Victoria in soothing tones. They knew what happened because after she locked herself in her room, Will and Jem had gone to the Lightwood residence to meet Gabriel to find out what happened. After talking to him, Will had punched him neatly in the face, breaking his nose in the process. When Jem reached this part in the story, Tori turned to look up at Will. "William, why did you do that? You should have left him alone, he is not worth anything to me anymore." "That may be true, but he hurt someone I love. It was only right for him to to be hurt too." Victoria had sighed and leaned into him again, head rested on his shoulder. "It was Jem who finally dragged me away, otherwise we might have torn each other into pieces." finished Will. _I am so lucky_ thought Victoria. _At least I have Jem and Will. They will never leave. I should have known better. All Lightwoods are the same._

Victoria recovered quickly after that, and it wasn't long until she was back into training with Will and Jem, and Jessie, when she decided she wanted to join. She saw other boys, but they were short courtships, and usually with ones she saw at the Devil's Tavern. Everything was fine until the Christmas party. Christmas was the one time each year that all the Shadowhunters of the Enclave gathered in celebration. But Victoria was dreading it, because it would be the first time she would be seeing Gabriel since _that day_. On the night of the party, Victoria had asked Jessamine to fix her up. Victoria and Jessie ordinarily did not get along; they bickered over simple affairs, and their interests simply lied in different directions. But Jessie was always willing to help where fashion was involved, and Victoria had enlisted her help. After putting Victoria into a deep purple strapless dress, she had done up her hair in an elaborate knot on her head. Victoria was getting nervous as Jessie put the last of the touches on her. Finally, after clasping Victoria's fleur-de-lis necklace behind her throat, she set her hands on her shoulders. "There. You look beautiful, Tori. You will be cause of many stares tonight, besides me, of course. But remember, you are worth a thousand of him. He isn't worth your attention, so don't show that you are nervous. Head up, and back straight. Remember now." Victoria was surprised by Jessie's words. These were the first words that Jessie had said to her regarding the matter. Victoria stood and looked at the other girl. She looked beautiful too, in a pale green gown that complimented her blond locks and brown eyes. Tori set her hands on her hips and said "Thank you, Jessie. Those are perhaps the kindest words I've ever heard from you. Perhaps this night won't be such a disaster after all." Jessamine, whose mouth was open in surprise, caused Victoria to laugh, and together, they left the room.

When they had reached the ballroom below, masks in place for the masquerade theme, the party had already started. Jessie went to go speak some people, while Victoria sought out Jem and Will. She found them near the drinks, laughing to each other. They both looked stunning. Will was in a navy blue suit, matched by a gold mask that covered half his face. Jem was in black, with a silvery mask that covered the lower half of his face. "I found you" she said, sneaking up behind WIll, causing him to yell in surprise. She laughed behind her deep violet mask that covered her eyes. She began to engage in discussion with the others around her. After an hour, when Victoria finally figured that Gabriel had not come, she found him, in the corner of the room, sipping a drink with melancholy.

She glanced away, but she couldn't help but notice how black especially brought the color of his hair and face, and how his cobalt blue mask matched the suit quite nicely. She had spent the past hour mingling amongst the crowd, and was slowly starting to get bored. Someone tapped on her shoulder, and she turned around in surprise to find Robert Penhallow standing behind her. He had handsome face that was framed by blond hair and decorated with pale blue eyes. He held his hand out to Victoria. "Would you care to dance?" Victoria obliged and took his hand, waltzing with him for several dances. He was an amiable person, and Victoria quickly found herself enjoying the company of this boy who could so easily make her laugh. Even after they were done dancing, Victoria and him sat down at a table on the side, and engaged in conversation.

Gabriel was watching the scene from the corner of the room, his gaze getting angrier by the moment. He was still in love with Victoria, and had made several attempts to come to the Institute to see her, but was always turned away by another member of the Institute. Frustrated, he had given up. He was moping around the house, hardly eating and sleeping, concerning the whole household. Benedict had even suggested that Gabriel stay home instead of going to the party, but Gabriel had refused. He clearly should have listened to his father, as seeing Victoria with Robert made him angry. He had always thought Robert was a good guy, a little innocent, perhaps, but always kind and a good shadowhunter too. At the moment, he wished nothing more than to rip him from limb to limb.

At long last, he saw Robert making his way to the drinks table. _This the only chance I have, _he thought. He came up to Victoria's table, and held his hand out to her. She recognized him immeadiately, but not wishing to cause a scene, she simply shook her head no. Gabriel asked her "Victoria, may please talk to you? I need to explain." Victoria gave him an icy look through her mask, and replied "There is nothing to explain Gabriel. My eyes do not deceive me." She stood up to leave and that moment, Gabriel, overcome by a bout of emotion, kissed her. He held her fast and tight. Unfortunately for Victoria, Robert came back at that moment, witnessing the kiss. Victoria noticed him and pushed Gabriel off her. Robert, who had always looked for the best in everyone, set the drinks down angrily on the table, making his way out of the ballroom. Victoria passed Gabriel a look of disgust before she ran out after Robert. Sighing, Gabriel followed them out, just to see if his plan worked and if Robert would leave Victoria alone.

He found them near the main entrance, facing each other. "Robert, please understand. I did not try to kiss Gabriel, he came after me." "A very likely story. You have no shame, kissing another man like that in public company. I have heard many stories about you, Victoria. The one who leaves a trail of broken hearts in her wake. I'm not a fool." With that, Robert left the Institute. Gabriel was overcome with a bout of hiccups, and it was these noises that caused Victoria to turn around, and find him near the door. "You" she spat, pointing a finger at him. Her mask had fallen off, leaving angry lines on her face in the shape of the mask. "You couldn't keep to yourself to one night, could you Gabriel? You had to come and ruin everything that was going perfectly." Gabriel let out a hollow laugh. "Really? Perhaps it is your fault for associating yourself with such a fickle-minded being who won't believe you. And why should he? There have been plenty of rumors, Victoria, about whom you've seen and where you've been. It was only a matter of time before others began to think to less of you." "Gabriel, I cannot believe you!" They were in the center of the room, staring at each other and refusing to back off. By that time, their screaming had ensued a crowd around them, with Will and Jem making their way to the front. "Lightworm, I thought I told you stay away from her." Victoria, who couldn't help it, let out a low laugh at the word 'Lightworm'. Gabriel turned to face her, now angry.

"I, unlike you, do not Will Herondale funny." Victoria returned his stony glance. "That is one matter on which we differ, Gabriel, because I find William to be quite hilarious. But you know what I didn't find funny? You, kissing another girl when you were with me. I had not thought you could betray so badly, but I should not have expected any better from a Lightwood." "Do you know why I did it Victoria?" "Why Gabriel, why did you do it?" "Because I am in love with you, god damn it!" The entire assembly fell quiet at this latest outburst. Victoria's eyes widened in shock. "Of all the cruelties in the world, I do not think that there could be a worse insult.. I don't want to ever see you again Gabriel. Leave, now, please. " With that final statement, she turned and ran up the stairs to her room.

She could hear footsteps behind her. As she turned a corner, she tripped and fell over the long hem of her dress, landing in a heap of satin and tears. She was crying now, sobs echoing down the corridor. She felt Jem's paper-thin hands on her shoulders. He had sat down next to her, and pulled her into an embrace. She cried into his shoulder, with Will leaning against the wall opposite them, gaze staring straight ahead. Finally, Victoria managed to choke out "How could I have been so careless? Why did I ever choose Gabriel?" For once, Jem was at a loss for comforting words, and to her surprise, it was Will who had responded. "Because we accept the love we think deserve." His words stuck with her. Victoria had wound up falling asleep in Jem's lap in the corridor, to exhausted from crying to move. Will had carried her to her room, setting her in a bed lit by moonlight. From that day, Victoria had kept from getting too close to boys. She didn't need to be hurt again and besides, Jem and Will were all she needed.

When she had recovered, Victoria slipped out of her room, and meandered down the hall and down the steps. She heard voices coming from a room, the storage closet above the library. She stepped into it, and found Tessa, Will and Jem peering through the floor into the library, eyeing the meeting proceeding below them. She sat in between Jem and Will. All three of them gave her a concerned look, but she waved it off with a smile and gestured to the meeting below. They saw Henry walk in and wave his Phosphor around, causing the room to be pitched into darkness.

**I know, I know, it's a bit long and slightly cliched. I kind of brain-dumped this chapter. And guys, please do rate and review, it would mean a lot!**


	6. Vampires and Doves

**Hooray! I've had a 100 people read this story! I would also like to thank Fleur for the excellent new title. Maybe I'll get even more readers now that the title is attractive. **

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. If it's not mine, it's Cassandra Clare's.**

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The next night, last minute preparations were hurriedly taking place for the plan. Thomas had managed to arrange for a number of blessed metal weapons, which the Shadowhunters took in the blink of an eye. Tessa walked into the Institute's main hall, where she saw Will and Jem each applying runes to an arm of Victoria's. She gave Tessa a smile as she slipped on her jacket and walked over to her. "You look lovely. Although, I would recommend leaving your hair down, Camille leaves it down a lot and it will help with the disguise" Victoria said as she pulled some of the pins out of Tessa's hair. Tessa gave her a grateful smile, and then changed into Camille; her disguise was perfect. "One more thing Tessa. Last night, I cut a small slit into the dress. I've noticed that you wear you angel necklace at all hours, so I figured you might want to keep it with you. Obviously, you can't wear it, but it will be with you, nonetheless." Tessa looked at the other girl in surprise as she pulled the angel necklace out of her pocket and place it in her hand. "I had Sophie grab it from your room just now. My apologies for the intrusion." Tessa nodded and said "Quite alright, Victoria, your intentions were well-placed." She slipped the necklace into her pocket as Charlotte rushed into the room with her gear on.

"Alright, here are your assignments for tonight, Victoria and Jem" she said as she handed them each a piece of paper. Jem looked his over and slipped it into his pocket, but Victoria's eyes stopped dead at the 8-9 assignment. She was to keep watch from the rooftop of a manor near De Quincey's . With Gabriel. And no one else. "No, Charlotte, please, don't make me do this. Can't I switch assignments with Jem?" she said, eyes widening. Charlotte pulled her into a hug and said "Tori, I tried so hard not to leave you paired with him, I really did. But the rest of the Council had already made their pairings, and no one was willing to switch. Many of them don't know why I was trying so hard to get you away from him. And Jem needs to be near Will, otherwise I would've easily made the switch. I'm so sorry, my dear." Victoria returned her embrace before letting go and saying "I'll be alright. It's just for an hour." Will and Jem had picked up the assignment that Victoria had dropped. "Are you sure, Victoria?" asked Jem, scanning the slip. "Yes, James. Now Will and Tessa better get along. They'll be late otherwise. We'll meet back here later." With that, Henry, Charlotte, Victoria and Jem left to go keep watch, while Will helped Tessa into a carriage that would take them to De Quincey's.

It was just after 8, and Victoria had a small flask in her hands. She was perched on the edge of the roof, a leg slung over each side. She was leaning against a wall that had been built along on edge, admiring London at night. _Where is that blasted boy?_ she thought, just as she heard a door creak open and saw Gabriel enter, dressed in gear. "You're late. Don't you know that punctuality is key?" she replied. She was annoying him, she knew it, but she didn't care. He didn't say anything. He walked over to the opposite end of the wall Victoria was sitting on, keeping a good distance between the two of them. He sat down in the same manner that she was sitting, one leg over each side. For half an hour, neither of them spoke a word as Victoria drank from the flask and Gabriel stared at her. Finally Victoria scowled at him. "Would you please stop staring? Hasn't anyone told you its bad manners?" He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the ledge. "Perhaps, but I'm wondering whether so much alcohol is advised when you need to keep alert." "It's weak. I asked Will to get me some from the Devil's Tavern, but he purposely picked up the wrong drink. I am fully alert, thanks to his idiocity." "May I have a sip?" Victoria eyed him carefully before she slowly handed over the flask. He drank a bit and handed it back to her. She was still giving him a funny look when he said "Why are you looking at me so strangely?" "I'm waiting for you to say something awful. That's how our last conversations ended, remember?" Gabriel flinched at the recollection, but replied anyways. "You never did let me explain myself. Do I finally get that chance now?" She mulled over the prospect for a second, before replying "You can tell me, but that won't change my opinion of you." He continued. "The girl I was kissing, Emma Morgenstern, had been blackmailing me for a while. She knew about the Westminster Bridge incident, and was threatening to expose us both if I didn't meet her. I don't know how she knew about it; I thought that we had kept all the evidence hidden. But she knew, and if I didn't meet her, everyone would know. I met her, hoping to pay her to keep quiet. Instead, she told me that she had been in love with me, and before I knew it, she was leaning in and... you know the rest." Victoria was looking out over London, taking in this new information.

She had closed her eyes in memory the Westminster Bridge incident. She had hoped that she would never have to think about it. One of her jokes gone too far, but she and Gabriel hadn't been sure if the man's death was entirely their fault. They had helped him, but he was so drugged already that it may not have been. How could Emma have known? There was no one there but them. Fortunately, they had discovered that it was drinking and not drowning that had eventually killed him. But that was discovered after the two separated. She sighed, but before she could respond, De Quincey's house lit up in flames.

She stood up and gasped. "Gabriel, we have to go! Will, and Tessa...". Without another word, she leaped off the roof. Scowling, Gabriel jumped too, landing cat-like beside her. They both ran the three blocks to De Quincey's. Gabriel kicked the door in, and the two of them ducked into a full-scale fight. The other shadowhunters were there, fighting De Quincey and the other vampires. "Gabriel," Victoria shouted " Go to the left side, there are some of them escaping. I'm going to help Tessa." Gabriel nodded, and they split up. As Victoria ran down the stairs to the center of the room, she wondered why they hadn't thought to give Tessa some sort of weapon. The other shadowhunters had to take turns to protect her and keep De Quincey at bay. "Tori, behind you!" called Will as she reached him. Without thinking, she turned and drove her blessed dagger into the whatever was coming from behind her. It was a mundane boy. No, scratch that, a darkling. Victoria pulled the blade out of his chest and leaped the last few stairs onto the stage. Tessa, still posed as Camille, was trying to claw away at Nate's manacles. Rolling her eyes, Victoria settled next to her on her knees. "Tessa, get out of here! I'll make sure your brother gets out, but we can't protect both of you and fight at the same time. I have a knife that should get these off. Go!" Tessa, who had learned to trust Victoria, nodded and stood up. At that moment, a figure flew past them. It was De Quincey, and he had flown at Tessa, knocking her to the ground. Tori screamed, which caused Will to turn. He and Tori ran to Tessa, and putting a hand on each of De Quincey's shoulders, they pulled him off of her.

"Nephilim." De Quincey staggered and righted himself. Will drew the pistol (_Where did he get a pistol from? _thought Victoria) from his belt and aimed it at de Quincey. "You don't even deserve to live in this world with the rest of us, and yet when we let you do so out of pity, you throw our gift back in our faces." _Will, you idiot, stop it. We don't need any more trouble. Just shoot him already._ "As if we need your pity," de Quincey replied. "As if we could ever be less than you. You Nephilim, thinking you are—" He stopped abruptly. "Are what?" Will cocked the pistol; the click was loud even above the noise of the battle. "Say it." The vampire's eyes burned. "Say what?" "'God,'" said Will. "You were going to tell me that we Nephilim play at God, weren't

you? Except you can't even say the word. Mock the Bible all you want with your little

collection, you still can't say it." His finger was white on the trigger of the gun. "Say it. Say

it, and I'll let you live." The vampire bared his teeth. "You cannot kill me with that—that stupid human toy." "If the bullet passes through your heart," Will said, his aim unwavering, "you'll die. And I am a very good shot." De Quincey raised his head. He opened his mouth. A thin rattle came out as he tried to speak, tried to shape a word his soul would not let him say. He gasped again, choked, and put a hand to his throat. Will began to laugh— And the vampire sprang.

Rather than leaping at WIll, he turned on Victoria. He turned her around and wrapped his arm around her neck in a death hold. Victoria was gasping for air and clawing at her weapon's belt, trying to get ahold of a dagger. All of a sudden, Victoria was released, and she dropped to the floor. She edged backwards on her hands towards Nathaniel. De quincey had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder blade. He pulled it out with irritation and turned to Will. As he moved, Tori saw that Gabriel was directly above them, bow and arrow in hand. She nodded towards him, and pointed to another figure near him that was trying to dart away. He turned to deal with this new intrusion. By that time, De Quincey had released Will, who was grinning maniacally from his seat on the floor, with blood dripping down his face. De Quincey was already the near the window before Victoria noticed. He jumped out, flying into the night. She raced to it, cursing in French. She turned back, just in time to see Jem killing the last of the vampires. She reached the boys in time to hear Will say "Nice throw." Jem shook his head. "You bit de Quincey," he said. "You fool. He's a vampire. You know what it means to bite a vampire." "I had no choice," said Will. "He was choking me." "I know," Jem said. "But really, Will. Again?"

Henry was the one to finally free Nate by breaking apart the chair. Nate landed in a heap in Tessa's lap, and it was quickly decided that Tessa and Nathaniel would go with Henry and Charlotte in the town coach; Will and Jem would ride home in a smaller carriage borrowed from

Charlotte's aunt, with Thomas as their driver. Victoria, the Lightwoods and the rest of the Enclave would stay behind to search de Quincey's house, leaving no evidence of their battle for

the mundanes to find in the morning. Will had wanted to stay and take part in the search,

but Charlotte had been firm. Victoria stood near the boys' carriage, a washcloth in hand. Jem was already inside, and she was wiping off Will's face and hands with the cloth. "Honestly, William. Did you really have to bite De Quincey? Why do you try so hard to act like a stupid idiot? There, you're clean now." She let the cloth drop to the ground and set her wrists on Will's shoulders looking him in the eye. "He was choking me." She rolled her eyes. At that moment, Gabriel approached them. "Nice work in there, Herondale, setting the place on fire," Gabriel observed. "Good thing we were there to clean up after you, or the whole plan would have gone down in flames, along with the shreds of your reputation." Victoria sighed before she released Will and looked at Gabriel. "Not tonight, Gabriel. Please, it's been too long. Let's go finish cleaning up. Will, go home." She turned promptly on her heel, and made her way back into the house, leaving both boys staring behind her.

It was nearly one o'clock. The house was nearly clean, and there were only a few people left looking through De Quincey's, making sure they hadn't left anything behind. Victoria and Gabriel were looking through the library silently. Gabriel stood up from behind the desk . "Victoria, I think that's the last of it. We aren't going to find-" At that moment, he was cut off by a soft cooing noise. Victoria looked startled as she peered behind an armchair and gasped in surprise. She pulled out a small bird cage, and in it was a dove. She took it out of the cage, and rested the bird on her arm. She stroked its white head before she turned to Gabriel. "Gabriel, open the window. Let's set this bird free." He nodded and rushed to open the window, and then stood back as she set the bird into the night. They both looked out the window, watching the dove fly off into the moonlight. "Maman used to call me and Alexander _nous petits coulombs._" Her little doves. Victoria had loved the birds, but could never bear to see them in captivity. She remembered setting the family pet free when she was nine, watching it sail over the sea. Papa had not been happy, but he never scolded her, just explained with kind words that she shouldn't have set it free. Gabriel looked at her sad face. "I know, you told me that once. Do you remember the first gift I ever gave you? It was a small dove statue, covered in fine down." _Of course I remember it. It still sits on my bedside table._ "No, I don't remember it. I probably got rid of it with the rest of the things you gave me." Victoria lied easily; truth was, she still had some of the gifts he had given her. A purple ring, a pair of white gloves, a painting of the two them. But she couldn't give him that satisfaction. She didn't look at his face but if she had, she would have noticed the hurt look plastered over it. Finally closing the window, she turned to leave. "Come on Gabriel, let's go. I think everyone else is outside, it's too quiet." He nodded before he replied "Alright. Do you need a ride home? We have extra space in the carriage." "No, but thank you for the offer Gabriel. The Institute is in another direction, I don't want to impose. It's near here also, I should make it back fine." "Alright." "Good-bye, Gabriel." With that, she dashed out into the street, running the whole way home.

When she reached the Institute, she made her way up to her room, where she found Charlotte on the second floor, walking towards her. "Hello, Victoria. Did you just arrive?" She nodded. "Goodness, it seems like they kept you late. You better get off to bed." "Charlotte, how is Nathaniel Gray?" "He is being examined by Brother Enoch currently, but it seems to be that he is in no danger." "Alright, thank you Charlotte. You should go to bed soon too. It's quite late." "I will be. Good night, Victoria." "Good night, Charlotte." Victoria made her way to her room on the fourth floor. She shut the door behind her, and peeled off her bloody clothes. Ugh. Sophie would probably have to get rid of these. She washed up as best as she could, and pulled herself into a white nightgown. She fell into her bed, falling asleep in an instant, her dreams filled with white clouds and doves.


	7. Silver Night

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I'm not going to repeat myself. =)**

The next morning, Victoria was up at the crack of dawn, but not by choice. She woke up to a loud scream from right outside her door. Rushing to open it, she found Sophie on the other side, horrified by the amount of blood that Victoria had dragged into the place the night before. Victoria sank to the floor against the door frame, groaning. "Sophie! Was it really necessary to scream? You'll wake the entire household." "I'm sorry Miss, but that is a lot of blood, which I was not expecting here. Go back to bed, you must be so tired." "I am exhausted, but I won't be able to go back to sleep now. Let me get dressed. I'll meet you in the dining room." Sophie nodded before she scampered away, probably to get a cloth to clean the blood. Victoria made her way groggy eyed to the wardrobe, and pulled out some gear. She was too tired to deal with a dress. She put on a ruby pendant and made her way downstairs. She had a cup of tea and a slice of toast by herself before she went to the library and started working through the stuff the Enclave had brought from De Quincey's the night before. Victoria stayed there for the rest of the day, with everyone slipping in and out of the room at some point or another. It was nearly nine o'clock, when Will, Jem and Charlotte had convened in the library to discuss the situation with Nate Gray.

"This isn't the London Hospital. Tessa's brother shouldn't be here!" It was Will's voice, raised to a shout. "He's not a Downworlder, just a stupid, venal mundane who found himself mixed up in something he couldn't manage—" "Will, stop it! We don't know how and why Nate wound up in this situation. He could've been forced into it for all we know. And Tessa was worried about her brother." "Tori's right, Will. I know you might be upset about the way yesterday went, because even though there were only two fatalities, we lost De Quincey." This comment came from Charlotte, who had thrown herself into a chair next to Victoria. "It wasn't a complete disaster, Charlotte. We stopped De Quincey from murdering Nate, and countless more mundanes" said Jem. Perhaps," said Will. "And perhaps if you hadn't insisted on tying the success of my plan to the functionality of one of Henry's ridiculous inventions, we wouldn't be having this conversation now. You can dance around it all you like, but the reason everything went wrong last night is because the Phosphor didn't work. Nothing Henry invents ever works. If you'd just admit your husband's a useless fool, we'd all be a lot better off." "Will" said Jem and Tori at the same time, trying to calm his anger.

"No. James, Victoria, don't." Charlotte's voice shook. "Will," she said, "Henry is a good, kind man and he loves you. I do too." "And I wish you wouldn't. I say we let Brother Enoch paw through Nate's mind, and let him-" Will was cut off as Tessa entered the room, fuming with rage. Victoria's mouth dropped open. _How much had she heard?_ Will, to her surprise, turned a shade of red rivaled only by Victoria's necklace. _I'll ask him about that later._ "I suppose you've come here to give me a piece of your mind" said Will sarcastically. "At least I have a mind to give you a piece of, which Nate won't have if we let Brother Enoch search him." Charlotte looked weary, and Victoria took her hand, grasping it tightly. "Well, your goal was to find your brother. You have him now, good for you. But that was never our goal." said Will, leaning against the mantle. "You Shadowhunters say you protect Downworlders and mundanes, try to uphold the Accords, when in reality, you only look after yourselves." Charlotte looked stung, and Will and Jem surprised, but Victoria was angry. This girl had the nerve to throw back everything they'd done for her right in their faces. "Did you think by keeping you here we were doing something for ourselves?" Victoria fumed, rising to her feet. She walked over to Tessa. "After all the trouble we went through to 'uphold the Accords', you have the nerve to tell us that we think about no one but ourselves?" Victoria was being unfair, she knew it, but she was too tired to care. It was Tessa's turn to look stung as she backed out of the room. "Stay away from my brother. And don't follow me." She turned and ran.

Victoria sank to her knees on the floor, putting her head in her hands. "I'll go check on Tessa" said Jem, slowly making his way out of the room. Charlotte also left to go find Henry. Will walked over to Victoria, and sat down next to her. She took her face out of her hands and set her head on his shoulder. He loosely wrapped an arm around her shoulder . "I shouldn't have said that" said Victoria quietly. "Perhaps I shouldn't have spoken either." "But you have a reason to say awful things to people. I had no excuse. Will, I wanted to ask you-" "What, Tori?" "How come you blushed when Tessa entered the room? I knew she caught you by surprise, but..." He flushed again, looking down at the floor. "Last night, when I was in the attic drinking the holy water, Tessa came up to give me a bucket." "And?" "Well, we uh, we kissed." "What!" "Yes, and don't act so surprised. It was not the first time I've kissed a girl, you know that." She slapped him on the arm. "I know that, Will, but Tessa?" "I wasn't thinking." "Clearly." He grinned down at her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. Victoria returned his embrace, and rose to her feet. "I think I'll go find Tessa and apologize. I shouldn't have been so rude." Will sat back on his hands, and watched as Victoria left the room. She spent the better part of an hour looking for Tessa, walking through each floor of the Institute. When she was walking along a corridor on the third floor, she looked out the window and stopped cold.

She found Tessa alright, but that wasn't all. She was using Jem's cane to fend off some of those automatons, and Jem was lying in a heap at her feet. Victoria began to run, calling through the household. "Charlotte! Henry! Will! Come quickly!" She was right in front of the library as WIll emerged from it. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Tori, what's wrong?" "It's Tessa and James. They're outside, and they're being attacked. And Jem's really injured. Bring whatever weapons you can." Will paled and nodded, and turned to grab a sword from the library, and tossed Victoria her electrum whip. "Let's go!"

They raced outside, Victoria pulled out her whip, the sharp edges slicing through the metal of the automatons. There were about half a dozen of them, and it was just WIll, Tessa and Tori, fighting them off. "Tessa, what happened?" Tori cried, slashing at the automaton again, rendering it immobile. "We were on Blackfriars Bridge and these automatons, they came out of nowhere, bearing a message from the Magister." Charlotte and Henry had come out by now, and were hacking away at an automaton a piece. When they finally slashed them apart, the remaining two ran out of the courtyard and into the street, close on their heels. Tori and Will dropped their weapons, and ran to kneel beside Jem.

"Jem, Jem, can you hear me?" Victoria said frantically, pushing his head with the back of her hand. When is rolled around unresponsively, she looked up at Will in panic, whose face was ashen. "Will, we need to get him to his room. Help me with him." Will nodded as each of them slung an arm of Jem's around their shoulder and carried a leg each, rushing him to his second story bedroom. When they had deposited him on the bed, Victoria began rummaging through his wardrobe, while Will went over to the mantel and took down Jem's silver box which held the _yin-fen._ Victoria took out a pair of night-clothes for Jem, and after Will had put half a teaspoon of the drug in Jem's mouth, he helped Victoria clean and change him. He finally started to wake up when Will and Victoria were tossing his bloodied clothes into a corner of his room. Each of them had taken a seat at his bedside, one on either side. Victoria took one his hands in her own and pressed it gently. "James, how are you feeling?" He sat up slowly, shaking his head lightly as if to shake his hair out of his face. "I'm fine, but Tessa..." "She's alright. She has a small cut on her forehead, but beyond that, she's fine" Will said coldly. "She may be fine, but I wish to speak to her. Explain that it was not because of the automatons I collapsed." "Jem, you're unwell, you can speak to her tomorrow." "Tori's right, James. Besides, do you really need to explain to her about the _yin-fen_?" Jem looked at Will steadily, answering his question in an unwavering tone. "Yes, Will, I need to tell her. Please ask her to come." Will, who threw his hands up in frustration, stalked out of the room, presumably to go find Tessa. "James, I'm going to go get cleaned up. I'll visit you once you're done talking to Tessa; I don't wish to hear this story." Jem nodded in understanding, before he pressed her hand to his cheek and let her leave.

She made her way slowly to her room. She was really tired, and she was worried about Jem. Sshe had thought that the death of her own parents was bad, but to survive through something like he did... She stepped into her room, and peeled off the gear, tossing it into the corner where she had thrown the previous night's clothes. It was the middle of the night, and Tori put on a nightgown, intending to go visit Jem before she went to bed, she never made it that far. She curled up on the rug in her room, fast asleep in an instant.

She was shaken awake roughly by Sophie. "Miss, get up." "Sophie, do I have to? I'm tired." "Miss Victoria, it is late afternoon, and Nate Gray has woken up. Charlotte wants everyone downstairs to meet with him." With this information, she sprang to her feet. "Really, he's awake? If that is the case, then Sophie, do help me into a dress." Sophie nodded and walked over to the wardrobe, pulling up a blue dress that Victoria had debated wearing the previous morning, but had tossed aside because she lost her patience. "Is this alright, Miss?" Victoria nodded and stepped into it, while Sophie laced her up. The dress was exceptionally pretty. It was a cobalt blue with a deep neck and sheer sleeves that reached down to her wrists. The edges of the sleeves, neckline and dress were edged in white silk. Sophie set the red pendant at Victoria's throat and ran a brush through her hair, not bothering to braid it. "Come Sophie, I look presentable enough." They made their way down to the library, where everyone else was already assembled. Victoria rushed over to the armchair that Jem was seated in and set herself on an arm, her back to Jem and legs hung over the side. She looked at Jem questioningly, and after he gave her a healthy grin, she turned to Charlotte. "I'm sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" Charlotte did the introductions. "Victoria, this is Mr. Nathaniel Gray. Mr. Gray, this is Victoria." "Pleased to meet you, " she said politely. Victoria could sense him observing her with his eyes, flushing under her gaze. Jessie and Tessa noticed too, which only caused Jessamine to scowl at her and Tessa to look exasperated. Will was seated in the same manner as Victoria on the other side of Jem's chair. "He was just about to tell us about his exploits and discovery in the Downworld. Please , do continue." Nate flushed again before he started telling his story. When he reached the part about how he sold his sister to Mortmain, Tori, Will and Jem met each others eyes. "Well, that's just fine, then," interrupted Will. "It's not as if there are more important things than money." His eyes were blazing with indignation; Jem looked no less disgusted. Victoria had her head in her hand, shaking it in disgust. "C'est degoutant" she muttered under her breath in her native French. After a few indignant cries from Tessa and Jessamine, the Nate reached the important part of the story; that De Quincey planned to attach the demon souls in the Pyxis to his automatons when the full moon arrived. Will leaped at the opportunity to go check the lunar tables in the corner of the library. He rushed back to them, his eyes very wide. "It's not tomorrow," Will said. "The full moon. It's tonight."

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**I know, I know, it's a bit dull. There isn't much action in this chapter, but next one is going to be a bit long, so it'll take me a couple of days to post. A huge thank you to those of you who are keeping up with the story!**


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